Antenna retainer clip



Oct. 29, 1957 J. c. DEMUNTER 2,

ANTENNA RETAINER CLIP Filed May 27, 1954 Wig/4i Z4 INVENTOR.

JO/l/V C. 0MOIVTR United States Patent ANTENNA RETAINER CLIP John C. Demunter, Oak Park, Mich.

Application May 27, 1954, Serial No. 432,650

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-361) This invention relates to an antenna retainer clip.

An object is to provide an improved clip for an antenna which clip is so designed that the ball end of the conventional whip antenna may be quickly releasably connected with the clip to hold the antenna constrained in a downward loop position. This clip is designed particularly for use on automobiles and is adapted to be secured to the drip or rain moulding which extends along the opposite sides of an automobile body just below the roof line.

An advantage of this particular clip is that it is so designed that the ball end of a clip antenna, such as is commonly used on automobiles, may be quickly and releasably secured thereto and the antenna will thereby be securely held in a loop formation with the tip of the whip constrained downwardly against the normal tension thereof, which tends to return it to an upright position.

Another object is the provision of an antenna clip of the character described which clip may be attached either to the right or to the left side of an automobile body to cooperate with the clip antenna located on such side of the body.

The clip is also so designed that it will serve to cooperate with a whip antenna disposed either forwardly of the clip or rearwardly thereof.

This improved clip is of simple, inexpensive construction and presents an attractive appearance. It is capable of substantially universal application and use and will function to securely releasably retain the ball end of a whip antenna engaged therewith. It is capable of receiving such ball end from either side.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious features of the clip will more fully appear from the following specification and claims, and accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a side portion of the rear end of an automobile body shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the antenna clip of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 a portion of a conventional automobile body is illustrated. The roof is indicated as and is shown as having a drip moulding extending therealong. The rear deck is indicated as 14. Attached thereto is an antenna supporting bracket 16 wherein an antenna whip 18 is carried by the bracket. These whips are of conventional construction and comprise a tapered flexible metal rod provided at'the tip end with ball 20. Normally the whip occupies an upright position. Such whip may be flexible and resilient so that the ball end may be lowered to a point adjacent to the body of the car and secured thereto to hold the whip in a loop-like formation as shown in Fig. 1. This holds the whip out of the way so that the car may be moved through a garage door or under- 2,811,330 Patented Oct. 29, .1957

neath branches of trees without interference of the whip with such movement. To releasably secure the tip of the whip to the top of the body, a clip or the like device may be mounted on the body. This invention relates to the clip.

The clip of my invention may be formed of suitable plastic material or such other material as is desirable for use. It may be secured as shown by screws 22 or the like to the drip moulding ,12 of the body. This clip comprises an upright body portion indicated as 24. The screws 22 extend through this body portion. This body portion is so shaped as to exhibit an ear-like portion 26. The ear portion is offset laterally from the body, being spaced therefrom as shown. It projects downwardly from the top of the body overhanging one side thereof. This is shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4.

The inner face of the ear which is opposed to the outer face of the body is provided with a groove 28 which extends upwardly from the bottom edge of the ear. That face of the body which is opposed to the ear is provided with a groove 30 which extends upwardly from the lower edge of the body as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The groove 30 is opposed to and complementary with the groove 28. The two grooves are adapted to receive therebetween and seated within both grooves the ball end 20 of antenna whip 18. v

The clip and ear are so fashioned that the passageway between the ear and the body which spaces the ear from the body extends upwardly and angularly away from the upper end of the grooves 28 and 30 in both directions. There are therefore two diverging passageways extending outwardly and upwardly away from the grooves 28 and 30 and between the ear and the body. The upper line of each of such passageways is indicated by the numeral 32. It is apparent, therefore, that the clip of this invention, when secured to the drip moulding of the side wall of an automobile body between the front and rear ends thereof would be adapted to receive the ball tip end of an antenna whip between the grooves 28 and 30 and that the whip can extend from the ball between the ear and the body in either direction away from said grooves. The clip, therefore, is capable of being used with an antenna whip whether the same is mounted on the front end of the body or adjacent to the rear end thereof. It is apparent, therefore, that this particular clip is adapted to be used with an antenna whip regardless of whether the whip is disposed on the right hand side of the body or the left hand side thereof, and regardless of whether it is positioned at the front or rear of the body.

What I claim is:

1. An antenna clip to releasably hold a whip antenna in a downwardly bent position comprising: an upright plate-like body portion, said body portion provided with means to facilitate securing the body portion to a support, an ear portion spaced laterally from the body portion and extending downwardly parallel to the body portion, a bridging connection securing the said portions together, said body and ear portions defining therebetween a downwardly opening slot, one of said portions in its face defining said slot and opposed to the other portion being provided with an upwardly extending ballreceiving groove to releasably receive the ball end of an antenna whip, the transverse dimension between the bottom of said groove and the opposed portion being greater than the transverse dimension across the slot between said portions outside of the groove, said bridging connection across the upper side of the slot and to one side of the groove being formed to provide a slot portion between the body and ear portions through which a downwardly bent and upwardly tensioned whip antenna may extend when its ball end is'seated in said groove,

2. The invention as defined in ciaim 1 characterized in that both said body and ear portions in those opposed faces defining the slot are provided with opposed upwardly extending ball-receiving grooves to releasably receive the ball end of a whip antenna.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said bridging connection extends from the upper end of said ear portion to the body portion and is formed on opposite sides of said groove to provide, between the ear portion and body portion, slot portions on opposite sides of the groove through either of which a downwardly bent and upwardly tensioned whip antenna may extend when its ball end is seated in said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Vick Dec. 10, 1912 Calhoun Apr. 22, 1924 Thomas et a1. Jan. 30, 1945 Wagenknecht Nov. 6, 1945 Bowman Apr. 12, 1949 Flick Dec. 12, 1950 Anderson May 29, 1951 Lanman June 30, 1953 Grunewald June 15, 1954 La Mountain Dec. 14, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany of 1952 

